This week’s fresh listings:
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Medal & Token listings for that particular week.
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for week commencing Tuesday 29th October 2024
*** THIS COIN IS NOW REMOVED FROM RESERVATION AND IS
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WMH-7985: Rare and Choice Henry VI
Hammered Silver Medieval Penny. Rosette-Mascle issue of
1430-31, London
mint, with mascles both obverse & reverse and but a single reverse small
die-filled rosette (see p.57 of Medieval Pennies Part II, Henry IV to
Henry VI by D.I. Greenhalgh) at the very end
of the legend. Episcopal York together with Calais produced the vast bulk
of Rosette-Mascle pennies with, to a slightly lesser extent, the Durham mint. London pennies are incredibly
rare and even though Spink go some way to highlighting this with their pricing,
they do not show the full extent of just how rare these coins are. The rarity continues to ramp up, albeit in a
fresh direction: the initial mark appears to be a Pierced Cross (1422-27) and
if you look very closely, you can see what appears to be the
vestiges of an annulet right of neck.
With some imagination, and a decent loop, you can also see what could be
the ghosting of the corresponding left annulet.
This would indicate an original Annulet issue, Calais mint obverse, adapted between 1430-31 to be used as a Rosette-Mascle obverse. Due to the initial mark being Pierced Cross,
the original die would need to have been sunk in 1427 or earlier. Now mules between issues are common enough
under this monarch but this coin is not that; it's not just mixing old dies up
with the new, this is taking an old die and physically changing it to bring it
up to date. As already pointed out, London issued but a fraction
of the Rosette-Mascle coinage that the other mints did so perhaps this was a
cost-effective way of, in the end, striking and issuing not that many
coins? A most worthy of coins in terms
of grade, type and not least, an insight into what they were up to back in the
early 1430's! Spink
1864. 
£785 RESERVED
Provenance:
Ex
Nigel Mills
This week's fresh listings:
WMH-9003: Henry V Hammered Silver
Long Cross Halfpenny. Class F, initial
mark Pierced Cross, trefoil and annulet by hair, London mint. Henry V of the Battle of Agincourt fame:
"I pray thee, wish not one man more. By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost; It yearns me
not if men my garments wear; Such outward things dwell not in my desires: But
if it be a sin to covet honour, I am the most offending soul alive". This is obviously Shakespeare's
interpretation on Henry's St Crispin's Day speech but it's generally believed
that Henry V gave a rousing speech to his men, who, remember, were vastly
outnumbered, just before they defeated the French. Spink 1796. A really nice example of
this popular monarch. £195
WJC-9004: James 1st Hammered Silver
Stuart Halfpenny. Third (final)
coinage, issue with no initial mark - Spink 2673. A really nice example of
the first Stuart king of England. £155
Provenance:
ex
Michael Trenerry
WSC-9005: William 1st THE LION
Hammered Scottish Silver Medieval Penny.
Short cross & stars issue, Phase B, bust 1, circa 1205-30. HVE WALTER reverse - those two moneyers
working jointly out of Edinburgh and
Perth. This specific issue struck circa
1205-1214. Spink 5029. Unusual obverse legend.
£295
Provenance:
ex
Spink Circular 1974
ex Baldwins 2023
WSC-9006: Alexander III Scottish
Hammered Silver Medieval Penny. Second coinage, x26 points to the mullets so Perth mint. This is an unusual mule of a later class D2
obverse and an earlier E2 reverse - Spink 5057 / 5056. There is evidence of wear & tear to the
crown punch but much more interesting is that the reverse is modified from a
standard x24 point die. Old
tickets here. A very nice grade coin but even more unusual
(and much rarer) in its origins! Possibly unique. £445
Provenance:
ex R.W. Kirton collection (an
excellent numismatic researcher who amassed a comprehensive collection of
Scottish coinage)
WSC-9007: Robert III Scottish
Hammered Silver Stuart Groat. Heavy coinage, Edinburgh mint. Fluer-de-lis in legend so the rarer Spink 5164A. Type 3a with x7 arcs to the tressure and
obverse triple vertical pellet stops.
Large V used on both obverse and reverse dies. A really unusual variety, partially outlined
in both ticket descriptions (see here), but
further with both the small T over large T and the extremely strange looking O
over normal O in SCOTORVM. £445
Provenance:
ex R.W. Kirton collection (an
excellent numismatic researcher who amassed a comprehensive collection of
Scottish coinage)
WSC-9008: James II Scottish
Hammered Silver Stuart Groat. Circulated at six pence.
First coinage, Edinburgh mint. Third (type IIIa) fluer-de-lis issue with tall, narrow crown - Spink 5225. Old
tickets here. R.W. Kirton states on his ticket that the crescent stop reverse
of this coin is unpublished. The other
ticket highlights the apparent die flaw to the king's face as possibly being an
attempt by the die sinker to highlight the large birthmark which is known to
have disfigured the king's left side. £895
Provenance:
J & R Edmiston
Auction, Glasgow, May 1976
ex R.A. Macpherson collection,
September 2009
ex R.W. Kirton collection (an
excellent numismatic researcher who amassed a comprehensive collection of
Scottish coinage)
WSC-9009: James V Scottish Hammered
Silver Stuart Groat. Second coinage (the first was just
gold), 1526-39. Type III, Spink
5378. Holyrood Abbey
Mint. James ascended the throne
aged just one year old. Coincidentally,
upon her father's death, Mary (the future Mary Queen of Scots), James's only
legitimate heir, was only seven days old when she ascended! You'd be challenged to source average or
lesser grade James V groats for under £1,000 these days - this coin is
definitely not one of those. A high
grade example of one of the most attractive hammered silver coins ever to be
issued, not just in Scotland but in the entire British Isles. £995
WSC-9010: 1669 Charles II Scottish
Milled Merk.
First coinage with an unusual and uncommon 270 degree die
rotation. Circulated
at 13s, 4d. Something you may not
have been aware of: the punches for this coin were actually made in London by none other than Thomas Simon,
although to be fair, the actual dies were made at the Scottish mint under the
direction of the equally famous John Falconer.
Not a particularly rare year but what elevates this coin above nearly
all other first issue Merks is the grade - it's
virtually unprecedented to find one so good!
Note the Spink 2020 Scottish price guide (resplendent throughout with
notoriously conservative pricing, not to mention now being five years out of
date) has this coin at £1,200. A rare coin. £685
